Birchwood ABC Elementary School

I can not say enough about Birchwood ABC. My son has been there from first grade through fifth, and my daughter from kindergarten through third. This school teaches children how to be good citizens, emphasizing manners, character, citizenship, and patriotism. They demand high academic performance from the children and they rise to the challenge. There is an advisory committee made up of parent volunteers to steer the curriculum. Both of my children have special needs and the entire staff, from principal Mr. Tim Godfrey through to the noon-duty workers, goes out of their way to accomodate and support my children. This school cares about children and families! I recommend this school to everyone!
—Submitted by a parent

On the Overview of this school, it states Birchwood excels in academic contests, badminton and band...I disagree these are the highlights of Birchwood. The staff at Birchwood take my children's education seriously. They use multiple different ways to recognize academic achievements, whether publically through parent-attended assemblies or through bulletin boards. The PTO enhances the kids experience by offering Family Fun Nights, Trunk or Treat fundraisers, running club at recess. However most of the school's focus is on the basics: reading, writing, arithmatic. The local military community is engaged and recognized through the school's emphasis on patriotism. Lots of military families attend this school and the teachers recognize the affect deployments have on the children. Parents are expected to work with their children through homework, reading log, teaching your kids the phonograms, etc. We've had a very positive experience so far and look forward to more years ahead at this wonderful elementary school. Mr. Armstrong is an amazing PE teacher. My son's kindergarten teacher, Ms Banner, is amazing too. She understands the kindergartener's sense of humor.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has a strong curriculum and a safe environment. They provide a collaborative learning environment as well, which we have appreciated. The PTO is clique-ish and those parents who are able to participate frequently pick the teachers they want for their kids. Those parents who do work may not have that option. There are some teachers who expect elementary age children to behave like adults and seem to have lost the joy that young children bring.
—Submitted by a parent

Birchwood ABC is a great school with good structure and disipline. My daughter has learned so much and excelled much farther than her last school. The phonograms teach them how the sounds are made with certains parts of words. I would recommend this school to everyone!
—Submitted by a parent

Birchwood ABC is a wonderful magnet type school. This school teaches Kindergarten students phonograms and how to read in the first half of the year and spelling rules and how to write during the second half. My child has already read 40 16-page phonis readers. They are using the Riggs-Spalding methods for reading and Scott Foresman for math. The students will be doing timed addition and subtraction test by the end of the year. I cannot say enough about this school. The teachers are really great and the parents are very involved. The students have gym class and music class twice a week, art class and library time once a week, and recess every day. The school also stresses academics, citizenship, patriotism, responsibility, respect, and courtesy.
—Submitted by a parent

I have been involved in this school for 7 years and every moment of it has been pure blyss! The staff members are a joy and the children are wonderful also! The school offers amazing physical and mental chalenges. It hosts a class for gifted children and for even more gifted children. Over all the school deserves 20/10 stars!
—Submitted by Erin Johnston, a former student

I put my son in this school for the last two years and love this program. It is high quality education and the staff is awesome.
—Submitted by a parent